ROCKFORD — Rockford Public Library officials are facing an unexpected roof replacement at the downtown Nordlof Center, a building they accepted for free as a gift from its namesake, Richard Nordlof.

Nordlof spent several hundreds of thousands of dollars on the building in his five years of ownership, 2007 to 2012. Some library officials believed that included a new roof; they learned in recent weeks that was not the case.

“The mechanicals are all new. There is new flooring, new bathrooms, a new elevator,” board President Paul Logli said. “The roof had been well-maintained, but it was not new. It had not been replaced by Dick Nordlof. So now we have that responsibility.”

At Monday’s board meeting, trustees will consider paying McDermaid Roofing $63,650 for a new roof. Members of a board committee also asked staff to weigh the cost of repairs versus replacement.

Discussions to transfer ownership of the Nordlof Center to the library became public in early 2012. Some library patrons opposed the plan, saying the building would be a drain on the library’s budget and divert money from books and library programming. The board voted in favor of owning the building in late 2012.

Facilities manager Noel Devine said the roof started leaking a month and a half ago, damaging the ceiling and drywall. An inspection before the transfer did not reveal any defects, board members said.

“I’m sure we’re going to get criticized about it, but it’s no different than any other building,” Logli said. “You just don’t know. The roof may not be leaking, but after a rough winter, maybe it’s going to leak. If there was a problem, it did not surface until now.”

As far as library officials can tell, the roof is more than 15 years old. It was installed by S.H. Christiansen, the roofing company owned by Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen. That company closed amid financial troubles in September 2012; bankruptcy proceedings concluded in April 2013.

Board members directed Devine and board attorney John Reardon to research the roof’s history and determine whether the library can recoup any expenses through warranties or insurance of anyone who worked on it in recent years.

“It may be a fruitless exercise to go through, but that doesn’t mean we won’t look at it,” board member Ed Geeser said.

The board will need to approve a budget amendment to cover the expense. Library staff members said there is enough money in this year’s budget for a new roof. They also plan to apply for a state grant to help offset the cost.